Sheriff's brother testifies in coke case (Unpublished Article)

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday May 22, 2007
Evans Charwetey Tsekobi, brother of Sheriff Asem Darke, the main person behind the importation of 77 parcels of cocaine into the country yesterday confirmed that the fugitive packed his land cruiser in his house at Kpone near Tema after the importation.

He however said he was not present when his brother came to pack the vehicle which the police suspect Sheriff used to cart the cocaine from the Kpone beach in his house.

Tsekobi who is the 10th prosecution witness was testifying before an Accra Fast Track High Court where six persons are being tried for the importation of 77 parcels of cocaine on board the MV Benjamin vessel at the Tema Port.

The 77 parcels of cocine was brought into the country by the vessel on April 26, last year but 76 parcel were allegedly carted away and offloaded at the Kpone beach by Sheriff and another Korean called Killer on the dawn of April 27, last year before the security agencies got into the vessel.

The vessel owner Joseph Kojo Dawson is being tried together with Pak Bok Sil an engineer from Korea, Isaac Arhin, 49, Phillip Bruce Arhin, 49, a mechanic , Cui Xian Li, 49; a vessel engineer and Luo Yui Xing, 49, all Chinese, for their various roles in the importation.

Dawson has pleaded not guilty to using his property for narcotic offences while Bok Sil also pleaded not guilty to one count of engaging in prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs.

Isaac Arhin, Bruce Arhin, Li and Xing have all pleaded not guilty to two counts of engaging in prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs and possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority.

Led in evidence by William Kpobi, a Principal State Attorney, Tsekobi told the court that he had been in police custody since September last year for keeping his brothers' vehicle in his house.

The prosecution then tendered the charter agreement between Sheriff and the vessel's management through Tsekobi because on that agreement the witness' name was used as Managing Director of Atico Fisheries in the deal.

Cross-examined by D.K. Ameley, Tsekobi who is an auto-mechanic said he is not the Managing Director of Atico Fisheries and also does not know if Sheriff runs a company called Atic Fisheries.

'I do not know Sheriff's business schedule.I also do not live with him'.

Also in the witness' box was Chief Superintendent Alhaji Bukari Yakubu, a document examiner at the Police Forensic Science Laboratory who did the verification of veseel's movement card as well as the statements of the accused persons.

He told the court that the handwritings and signatures on the vessel's movement card and those on the stement were that of Isaac Arhin.

The court presided over by Justice Annin Yeboah of the Court of Appeal adjourned proceedings until May 24.